Brookhaven Memorial unveils new name, after dropping first rebranding
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue will now be known as Long Island Community Hospital. Credit: Charles Eckert
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center on Friday unveiled its new name at its annual employee barbecue.
The name: Long Island Community Hospital. The name change is effective immediately.
Brookhaven said in February it was changing its name to Long Island Medical Center, but didn't follow through with the brand overhaul after it said it received feedback from the community that the proposed name didn't properly reflect its local mission.
New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, the largest private employer in the state, also expressed concerns about the original name because of its similarity to Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
Northwell said it doesn't have an issue with the Long Island Community Hospital name.
Brookhaven has said the name adjustment was not in response to the Northwell complaint.
"What we’ve heard since announcing our re-brand was that our community and staff were extraordinarily proud of our unique and distinctive role as an independent, community hospital," Richard T. Margulis, the president and CEO at Brookhaven, wrote in an email. "The overwhelming positive feedback was centered around what sets us apart from other hospitals and health care systems: our personal connection to the community we serve.
"Thus, we fine-tuned our name and brand into what we are today," Margulis said.
Brookhaven has remained independent while every other Long Island hospital has joined larger health systems. For example, in the last year John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson joined Northwell, while Southampton Hospital joined Stony Brook Medicine. Also, South Nassau Communities Hospital is joining Manhattan-based Mount Sinai Health System.
Brookhaven has said it plans to remain independent.
The hospital didn't release the new logo, which is "under review by our attorneys to ensure it can be trademarked," Margulis said.
The East Patchogue-based hospital has been known as Brookhaven Memorial since it was founded more than 60 years ago.
